"King Richard II" by William Shakespeare is a history play written in 1595. The drama follows England's King Richard II through the final two years of his reign as noblemen conspire against him. When Richard banishes his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and seizes his inheritance, he sets in motion his own downfall. The play traces Richard's descent from absolute monarch to captive king, as Bolingbroke returns with an army to reclaim his lands and ultimately the throne itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.)